Texas Tech partners with Natura, ACU to advance cutting-edge technology
Jan. 28—Texas Tech University announced Tuesday that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Natura Resources LLC of Abilene and Abilene Christian University (ACU) to seek business opportunities and funding for projects related to Natura's molten salt reactor (MSR) currently under construction on the ACU campus.
The collaboration, which includes the Texas Produced Water Consortium (TxPWC) located at Texas Tech, builds on the rapid progress of the Natura MSR-1 system, which has become one of the nation's leading advanced reactor projects. Together, the partners will demonstrate the potential for Natura's commercial reactors to address Texas' critical water and energy needs by integrating MSR technology with water desalination and energy production systems.
"This partnership will address critical challenges we face as a state," Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said in a news release. "By working with Natura and Abilene Christian University, we're securing crucial water resources and driving innovation in energy. By creating greater access to water, energy and jobs, we will contribute to a stronger future for our communities. Texas Tech is proud to be part of this collaborative effort."
Texas faces significant challenges in meeting its growing demand for clean energy and water. Small modular MSRs offer a promising and scalable solution and could become a valuable asset to purify produced water generated by oil and gas wells, which is then available for agricultural and other beneficial uses. The integration of MSR technology with desalination systems will provide a sustainable and efficient way to address these needs.
"Natura Resources' MSR technology represents a significant advancement in clean energy innovation, equipping Texas with the tools to meet its energy and water needs for decades to come," said Doug Robison, founder and president of Natura Resources. "Our partnership with Texas Tech University and Abilene Christian University exemplifies our collaborative approach to addressing critical challenges and driving technological advancements. This collaboration will pave the way for the commercial development and deployment of MSR technology in Texas and beyond."
Texas Tech's faculty members bring extensive expertise in chemical process engineering, separation technologies and the high-temperature environments required for MSRs. The university has developed a strong reputation for research in extreme conditions, drawing from its experience with oil well technology. The TxPWC is leading research and development of purification of produced water and its beneficial use for Texans. Additionally, Reese Center, located west of the university's main campus in Lubbock, provides a secure and specialized environment for conducting the research necessary to advance MSR systems.
"ACU has long standing relationships with Natura and Texas Tech, so it's exciting when our research and technology initiatives align in this kind of unique partnership," said Phil Schubert, ACU president. "We look forward to growing opportunities and making a real difference in Texas and around the world."
The next steps for this partnership include the completion of the demonstration reactor and the development of systems to integrate Natura's reactors with water desalination and energy production technologies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
McDonald's Shares Slump as GLP-1 Risks Spur Rare Sell Rating
(Bloomberg) -- McDonald's Corp. shares slumped on Tuesday after Redburn Atlantic gave the burger chain its sole sell rating, saying shifting consumer patterns due to weight-loss drugs and inflation are cause for concern. Trump Said He Fired the National Portrait Gallery Director. She's Still There. NYC Mayoral Candidates All Agree on Building More Housing. But Where? Senator Calls for Closing Troubled ICE Detention Facility in New Mexico California Pitches Emergency Loans for LA, Local Transit Systems Shares of McDonald's fell as much as 1.7% in Tuesday trading on the downgrade, a two-notch cut from Redburn's previous buy rating. Redburn held a buy rating on the stock since initiating coverage in 2023. As more Americans turn to GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic to lose weight, McDonald's could see as much as a $428 million annual impact to revenue, representing about 1% of system sales, Redburn Atlantic analysts Chris Luyckx and Edward Lewis wrote. 'A 1% drag today could easily build to 10% or more over time, particularly for brands skewed toward lower-income consumers or group occasions.' The analysts also cut McDonald's price target to a Street-low $260, implying a nearly 15% decline from where the stock closed on Monday. Shares have declined for seven straight days, on track for their longest losing streak in nearly 12 years, after closing just below a record high in mid-May. Redburn's lowered recommendation was just the latest downgrade for the fast-food giant, which was recently knocked down to hold-equivalent ratings at Morgan Stanley, Loop Capital and Erste Group. Analysts remain largely split on the stock, with 22 buy-equivalent ratings, 18 hold-equivalent ratings and an average price target of $332, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. McDonald's US same-stores sales fell 3.6% in the first-quarter of this year, marking the largest decline since 2020 when people were stuck at home during the pandemic. Fast-food restaurants like McDonald's have also seen a decline in traffic in 40 of the past 43 months, according to the analysts. In addition to the McDonald's call, Redburn also launched coverage of Domino's Pizza Inc. with a sell rating, while starting Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. as a new neutral. YUM! Brands, Inc., which owns popular brands KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, was raised to buy from neutral given the stock's 'reasonable' valuation. Despite the slump, McDonald's has increased its average transaction amount through pricing, but lower-income consumers are now opting to eat more at home as the price difference between home and restaurant food increases, according to the report. 'While the brand has historically benefited from consumer trade-down during periods of pressure, recent years of outsized menu pricing have created value-perception challenges, contributing to persistent traffic softness,' the analysts wrote. Still, McDonald's shares have risen 3.8% so far this year, but without improved value proposition and menu innovation, continued growth may not be sustainable, the analysts added. --With assistance from Peyton Forte. (Updates shares, adds additional details from research note.) New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years The SEC Pinned Its Hack on a Few Hapless Day Traders. The Full Story Is Far More Troubling What America's Pizza Economy Is Telling Us About the Real One Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Wants to Donate His Billions—and Walk Again American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to Present at the Life Sciences Virtual Investor Forum June 11th-12th
Company invites individual and institutional investors, as well as advisors and analysts, to attend online at HENDERSON, Nev., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB:NIKA), based in Colorado, focused on cures for life-threatening diseases, today announced that Dimitar Savov, CEO, will present live at the Life Sciences Virtual Investor Frum hosted by on June 11th, 2025 DATE: June 11th TIME: 1:00 PM ETLINK: REGISTER HEREAvailable for 1x1 meetings: June 12th-17th between 09:00am ET and 11:30am ET This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event. It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. Learn more about the event at Recent Company Highlights On May 19, 2025, NIKA published a market analysis for the countries of Ukraine, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, UAE, where NIKA has exclusive distribution agreements and has estimated a total of around €656 million in potential revenue. NIKA's partner company, Nika Europe, has made the second $195,554 payment for the vial production line and is currently finalizing the details of the clean rooms design in order to start construction. The production facility is expected to be completed in H2, 2025. On April 11, 2025, Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. published a report on the therapeutic effect and potential economic impact of ITV-1, which can be found here. On July 11, 2024 Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. signed an exclusive distribution agreement for the Republic of Nigeria. Under the terms, NIKA will receive €1,980 per each set of ITV-1 with two sets necessary for each treatment, which could result in €7.9 billion revenue. About Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Nika Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NIKA) is a pharmaceutical company, specializing in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cancer, Diabetes, and all diseases, for which strengthened cell immunity is of vital importance. NIKA's intellectual property includes six drugs in injection form – two of which have successfully undergone clinical trials with good treatment results – four drugs in tablet form, and eleven dietary supplements. NIKA's goal is to not only achieve corporate profits, but to provide better and easier access to life-saving medicinal drugs and useful dietary supplements. Find more on Forward-looking Statement: This press release contains forward-looking statements. Certain statements, other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives, and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, are 'forward- looking statements.' These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words 'believes,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,'' estimates,' 'intends,' 'strategy,' 'plan,' 'may,' 'will,' 'would,' 'will be,' 'will continue,' 'will likely result,' and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. About Virtual Investor Conferences®Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors. Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors. CONTACTS:Nika Pharmaceuticals, Clifford P. RedekopTitle Corporate SecretaryPhone (702) 326-3615 Email cliffredekop@ Virtual Investor Conferences John M. ViglottiSVP Corporate Services, Investor AccessOTC Markets Group (212) 220-2221johnv@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
McDonald's downgraded on GLP-1 drug worries: Wall Street's top analyst calls
The most talked about and market moving research calls around Wall Street are now in one place. Here are today's research calls that investors need to know, as compiled by The Fly. Top 5 Upgrades: Lake Street upgraded Limoneira (LMNR) to Buy from Hold with an unchanged price target of $23. Q2 results came in "modestly below" the firm's estimates behind an especially weak lemon market, but the highlight was a major agreement to merge a portion of Limoneira's operations into Sunkist, which will "meaningfully" reduce Limoneira's fixed costs and operating expenses while improving the revenue mix to higher margin businesses, the firm tells investors. Janney Montgomery Scott upgraded Eagle Bancorp (EGBN) to Buy from Neutral with a $24 fair value estimate. Investors have "ignored" Eagle shares in recent months as the stock has drifted from $24 to sub-$17 recently, notes the firm, which encourages investors to "do more homework on the EGBN story" with the stock still trading at a less than the 66% average price-to-tangible book value ratio since December 2022. BofA upgraded ArcBest (ARCB) to Neutral from Underperform with a price target of $74, up from $63. The firm sees momentum in the company's share gains with core customers mitigating core yield pressure. Raymond James upgraded Atlantic Union Bankshares (AUB) to Strong Buy from Outperform with a price target of $41, up from $37. The firm sees an attractive valuation for a "desirable franchise that is likely to show a significant improvement in financial performance over the next twelve months." Mizuho upgraded Macerich (MAC) to Outperform from Neutral with a price target of $18, down from $22. The firm believes the stock offers an attractive risk/reward profile and that its underperformance year-to-date "offers an intriguing entry point for risk-tolerant investors to gain exposure to a highly productive mall portfolio with substantial long-term earnings upside." Top 5 Downgrades: Redburn Atlantic double downgraded McDonald's (MCD) to Sell from Buy with a price target of $260, down from $319. The firm sees the GLP-1 weight-loss drugs suppressing consumer appetites and presenting an underappreciated longer-term threat for McDonald's. JPMorgan downgraded Informa TechTarget (TTGT) to Underweight from Neutral with a price target of $8, down from $18. After more than two months of delay, the company released its fiscal 2024 results, which were worse than expected, the firm tells investors in a research note. BofA downgraded Keros Therapeutics (KROS) to Neutral from Buy with a price target of $18, down from $32. The company announced the conclusion of its strategic review, with the board opting to move forward with KER-065 for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and to return $375M in excess capital to shareholders, the firm tells investors in a research note. Redburn Atlantic downgraded Manhattan Associates (MANH) to Neutral from Buy with a price target of $200, down from $270. The firm says the company remains highly exposed to discretionary professional services, and three factors will sustain pressure on the services, namely Manhattan's cloud product that should require less support than on-premise, system integrators that are more familiar with the company's products and offer cheaper rates, and the customer base that will continue to be prudent on discretionary spend given macro uncertainty. Jefferies downgraded Arch Capital (ACGL) to Hold from Buy with a price target of $100, down from $106. The firm anticipates mid-year softening of catastrophe pricing to temper Arch's growth and compress returns. Top 5 Initiations: KeyBanc initiated coverage of Dynatrace (DT) with an Overweight rating and $69 price target. The firm is positive on Dynatrace's leadership in application performance monitoring and in the enterprise segment. KeyBanc initiated coverage of Elastic (ESTC) with a Sector Weight rating and no price target. The firm says that while the company's platform supports several use cases, it is not as differentiated in observability and SIEM. Goldman Sachs reinstated coverage of Kontoor Brands (KTB) with a Buy rating and $85 price target, implying 25% upside. The company recently completed the acquisition of the Helly Hansen brand, which diversifies and strengthens Kontoor's portfolio expansion into global markets and new categories, and provides meaningful accretion opportunity over time, the firm tells investors in a research note. BofA initiated coverage of Amentum (AMTM) with a Neutral rating and $24 price target. Amentum is a top 10 provider of advanced engineering, technology solutions, and facility operations to U.S. and international governments which boasts a $45B-plus backlog supported by diversified customers, contracts and capabilities, but high leverage and a slow award environment limit their growth opportunities, the firm tells investors Northland initiated coverage of Savers Value Village (SVV) with an Outperform rating and $15 price target. The for-profit thrift retailer offers secondhand clothing, accessories, and household goods through "a unique circular economy model," notes the firm, which sees the company having a "rare mix of white space, margin, and mission." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
